Tang China and the Silk Road

The Tang period (618–907) coincided with the apogee of medieval culture in China. Over the past millennium, this era has conjured up images of martial grandeur, vast territorial expansion, and multicultural tolerance; of China’s richest flowering of Buddhism, but also of its severest suppression; of a thriving intellectual culture that gave rise to some of China’s most celebrated poets; and of an aristocratic material culture dominated by cosmopolitan fashion and international trade. This class ventures to examine Tang design and material culture in light of Tang international relations and cultural exchange, notably with Turks and Sogdians. In what ways, and to what degree, did exposure to Western craft traditions and international markets shape the artistic output of the Tang? We will focus on gold and silver, textiles and costume, and glass and ceramics. 3 credits. Satisfies the non-Western or pre-1800 requirement.